[5], 158, [1] leaves : 22 cm. (4to)

Ms. codex

Title supplied by cataoguer

Place of publication and possible dates of publication supplied in "Juan de Tovar and this History of the Indians" by J.H. Parry, in the Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, v. 121, no. 4

Ms. codex in ink and watercolor on European paper. The author drew on the work of Diego Durán and his Historia de las Indias de Nueva España [i.e. Codex Durán] as source material. This codex, in turn, was used extensively in José de Acosta's Historia natural y moral, first printed in Seville, 1590

Title page on leaf [1] recto, 1st count reads: Historia de la benida de los Yndios apoblar a Mexico de las partes remotas de occidente los sucessos y perigrinaçiones del camino su gouierno, ydolos y templos dellos ritos y cirimonias y sacrificios, y sacerdotes dellos fiestas, y bayles, y sus meses y calandarios de los tiempos, los reyes, y tuuieron hasta el postrero que fue Ynga, con otras cosas curiosas sacadas de los archiuos y tradicciones antiguas dellos hecha por el padre Juan de Touar de la Compañia de Iesus inuiada al Rey N[uest]ro S[eñ]or en este original de mano escrito

Leaves 2-4 are letters by and from José de Acosta and the author concerning the composition of the manuscript

"Relacion del origen de los Yndios que havitan en esta Nueva España segun sus historias": leaves 1-58, 2nd count

"Tratado de los ritos y ceremonias y dioses que ensu gentilidad savan los Indios de esta Nueva España": leaves 59-81

Leaves 85-145 are vibrantly colored illustrations of Aztec kings, and scenes of Aztec people and life and temples; leaf no. 119 is a fold out illustration of Indian dancers and drummers; leaf 142 is a depiction of the Aztec calendar. Following this section, on leaves 144-157, are "Los meses", an illustrated section, which depicts the Aztec calendar coordinated with the Christian one with feast days and other important events, beginning in March and ending in February; leaf 158 is a series of black and white doodles which contain only glyphs

Names of kings and gods are given in the Aztec language; there are pictorial depictions of many Aztec language glyphs

Gift; 30289

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